Airports: Minneapolis Saint Paul International
by Emaelin
Summary: AU three-shot, second in a series. Annie runs into Auggie again, this time literally, and in the Minneapolis airport.
1. Part I

**DISCLAIMER: **Despite how much I would _like_ to own Covert Affairs and how cool it would be to do so, I most definitely do not own it. Meh.

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><p>Minneapolis-Saint Paul, United States of America<p>

Annie was late. Abominably late. By her calculations, she had exactly thirteen minutes to sprint from one end of the Minneapolis airport to the entirely opposite end. She was never going to make it, but she took a deep breath as her plane pulled into Gate B2, and made the decision to give it a valiant try. Thankfully, she was sitting in the very front row of economy class seating, so luck may have been on her side that day.

The problems had started early that morning, when she checked the weather report on her laptop before she left her sister's guest house back in D.C. The forecast called for heavy snow and blowing winds, which she immediately knew were definitely going to delay her flight to the Twin Cities. At that time, Annie hadn't known that her problems were only just beginning.

The 9:43 AM flight from Dulles International Airport to Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport was only delayed by thirty minutes, so Annie wasn't too worried when the plane finally took off. However, once in the air at cruising altitude, the pilot made an announcement that due to weather conditions, the actual flight time would be considerably longer than normal, taking at least an hour more than expected to reach their destination. That got Annie worried. She knew she only had an hour and forty-five minute layover in Minneapolis, and with the two delays, she would be cutting it very close in order to catch her next flight.

So here she was, waiting for her plane to finish docking into the B concourse, knowing that she had to make the sprint to Gate F5 in, she checked her watch again, now eleven minutes. It was a God-send that nobody else on her flight had to make a tight connection, so she would be let out of the plane first. Annie was jolted out of her thoughts by the sound of the flight attendant opening the door to the breezeway, and quickly strode forward, through first class to the front of the plane. She thanked her lucky stars that she had had the presence of mind to pack an over-the-shoulder carry on and not her usual roller bag. She stepped out of the plane, onto the chilly breezeway and, picking up speed, began to jog up it towards the warmth of the airport.

Annie burst through the door, briefly noted the desk attendants sympathetic glace, and continued to run down the concourse until she reached the stairs leading to the underground passage to the C concourse in the main part of the airport. Taking them two at a time in her haste, she reached the bottom quickly and immediately began running towards, and then on, the moving walkway in the passage. It took a matter of seconds for her to reach the other side, sprint up the next set of stairs and head into the C concourse.

Checking her watch again, seven minutes now, she noticed the tram that went the length of the entire concourse was just about the leave the station, and made the leap through its doors just in time. Inside the tram car, she caught her breath and impatiently watched the concourse rush past outside the window. Four minutes later, Annie jumped out the tram doors, and once again began to sprint through the Minneapolis airport.

Knowing she only had a few minutes left to catch her flight in time, she kicked it into a higher gear, speeding past a Starbucks and entering the mall within the airport. Annie sped past a few window shoppers near the Minnesota store, barely swerved around one of those handicapped transport vehicles and slammed into someone in Army fatigues standing in the middle of her path.

She remained dazed on the ground for what she could only assume was a few seconds before the someone she had run into had helped her up. She registered the fact that the soldier had a pair of lovely chocolate brown eyes, curly hair of the same color, and was saying something she didn't hear. Then she was off again, leaving a shouted apology in her wake and one very confused Army man.

Annie rounded the corner into the F concourse, checked her watch, saw the collision had cost her valuable time, and sprinted the rest of the way to Gate F5 as fast as she could. When she finally arrived, unbelievably tired and out of breath, to her dismay she saw no plane waiting for her at the gate. When she glanced at the board that should have been displaying a flight to International Falls, Minnesota on it, she instead saw one going to Jacksonville, Florida.

Sighing, Annie resigned herself to her fate. She had missed the flight, and would now have to stay overnight in a hotel. She mentally thanked her mother for drilling it into her head that if one thought one might miss one's flight, one should reserve a hotel room in advance. While still on the way from D.C. to Minneapolis, Annie had splurged for the in-flight internet, and reserved a room at a Residence Inn near the Mall of America that had a shuttle to and from the airport. However, she couldn't check into her room until after noon, and it was only 11:13 now, so she figured it wouldn't hurt to go get some ice cream from the Ben and Jerry's in the food court.

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><p><strong>AN: **Yes, yes, it's been three months. But look on the bright side, it's only been three. Could have been worse. School's killer and all that crap, excuses, excuses. On the other bright side, this is going to be a two-shot! So I may be motivated to write the second part more quickly. Or it might take another three months. You never know with me. Anyway, I had a ton of fun writing this, mainly because I was pulling from my own experiences with the Minneapolis airport. Yes, I have missed flights there, after sprinting the entire length of the airport, but life sucks like that. I've never run into a handsome Army man while doing so, but you never know. There's still time for it. So, please, review, story alert, whatever you want to do. If you want to read the second half, you'll have to know I've written it somehow, right?


	2. Author's Note

Hey there, guys. I'm a terrible person. I've left you all hanging on this for over a year and a half. I feel pretty bad. Truth is I'm not built to write chaptered stories. I'm a one-shot only kind of gal. I knew that going into this, but I wanted to challenge myself and overcome that particular shortcoming. I failed.

Once I write something, I tend to let it stand or fall on its own; no follow-ups. I had two more chapters planned out for this little 'trilogy.' I even liked what I had planned. I just couldn't make myself sit down and type it all out. This is a crappy apology and I know it. I just felt like I had to give you 27 people following the story some sort of explanation.

Thanks so much to everyone for believing in me. I may eventually write more one-shots in this series, but don't get your hopes up. Covert Affairs has changed a lot since I began this little venture, and unfortunately so has my 'ship allegiance. To be completely honest, I'm not entirely happy with where the show has gone over the past season, and I'm not sure I'll even continue watching this summer. I've lost inspiration for this pairing, and this show.

Thanks again to all my reviewers and followers. It really meant the world to me that you guys liked the little snippets I scribbled down as a high schooler.

Hugs and cookies, ~E


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